Biden Appoints COVID-19 Response Chief... "I Will Also Get Vaccinated" (Comprehensive)

Jeff Zients, Former NEC Advisor, Appointed as COVID-19 Task Force Coordinator
Biden: "I Want Dr. Fauci to Stay... Willing to Take Vaccine if It's Safe"
Vaccinations to Start Next Week, Supply Shortage... About 1% of Population to Be Vaccinated in New York

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] President-elect Joe Biden of the United States has appointed a task force leader to lead the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis and announced that he will publicly receive the vaccine to alleviate public concerns about its safety. As the global cumulative death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 1.5 million on this day, with about 20% of the deaths occurring in the U.S. and the spread showing no signs of slowing, efforts to accelerate the response have begun. Vaccinations in the U.S. are scheduled to start next week, but the initial supply is ridiculously small compared to the population. In states like California, where the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, strong lockdown measures such as a stay-at-home order similar to last spring are reportedly being prepared.

According to U.S. political media outlet Politico on the 3rd (local time), Biden appointed Jeff Zients, former advisor to the National Economic Council (NEC), as the coordinator of the COVID-19 response task force for the Biden administration. He also reappointed Vivek Murthy, former Surgeon General under the Barack Obama administration, as Surgeon General. Both are known experts who led diagnostic testing, economic support, and vaccine development during the Ebola outbreak in 2014 under the Obama administration. In addition, Dr. Nunez Smith, a professor at Yale School of Medicine who was appointed as a COVID-19 advisor to Biden’s transition team, is being mentioned as a candidate for the next Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a well-known infectious disease expert in the U.S., is also expected to remain in his position. In an interview with CNN on the same day, Biden directly stated, "I want to appoint Director Fauci as the chief medical advisor for the next administration," expressing his desire for Fauci to continue.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Along with this, Biden announced that he will publicly receive the vaccine to dispel concerns about its safety. He said, "If Director Fauci confirms that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe, I will also get vaccinated." Earlier that day, three former U.S. presidents?Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush?also declared on television that they would publicly receive the vaccine to alleviate widespread vaccine hesitancy among the American public.

The appointments for COVID-19 response came amid the worsening global situation. According to COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University, the global cumulative death toll reached 1,503,107 on this day, an increase of 500,000 in just over two months since surpassing 1 million at the end of September. Of these, about 20%, or 270,000 deaths, occurred in the U.S., where the daily death toll reached a record high of 2,804 on this day. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in the U.S. have also exceeded 100,000, raising concerns about the collapse of the healthcare system.

In particular, California, which recorded more than 300,000 new cases last month alone, announced that it will soon implement strong lockdown measures including restrictions on residents' movement. According to Bloomberg News, California Governor Gavin Newsom said at a press conference, "The intensive care units (ICUs) could reach full capacity within days, and we will immediately impose strong lockdown measures such as movement restrictions." This is the first time since last spring that a U.S. state government has hinted at strong lockdown measures such as movement restrictions. Without lockdown measures, there are concerns that the number of confirmed cases in California could increase by about two to three times after the Christmas holidays compared to the current level.

Vaccination distribution in the U.S. is planned to begin next week, but the initial supply is so small relative to the population that it is widely believed to be insufficient to curb the current spread. According to CNN, the approval review for Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine is expected on the 11th, and vaccinations will begin nationwide the following day. However, the vaccine supply for this month is only about 20 million doses, enough for about 10 million people, which is very small considering the U.S. population of over 330 million. In New York City, one of the hardest-hit areas, it is expected that only about 320,000 priority recipients, approximately 1.5% of the city’s population, will be able to receive the initial vaccine supply delivered by the end of the year.